15 February 2016

Subaru Canada is excited to showcase an intriguing video of professional mountain bike freestyler, Brandon Semenuk, combining two of his adrenaline sport passions – mountain biking and rally driving. In the video, hosted on Subaru Canada’s YouTube channel, Brandon Semenuk hits the ignition switch on a 2016 Crosstrek in the new Hyper Blue exterior colour with a custom Hyper Blue mountain bike secured on top to head to his latest riding location in his hometown of Squamish, BC.

Brandon has been freeriding mountain bikes since the age of 14 and has a long list of awards that include winning the Red Bull Rampage in 2008, the 2011 and 2012 Freeride Mountain Bike World Tour and a silver medal at the X Games in 2013. Most recently he accepted the People’s Choice Award after claiming 25 percent of votes at the 2015 Red Bull Rampage.

Besides his mountain bike freeriding career, Brandon also has a passion for rally racing. He has competed in many regional events in BC, and has more recently competed in national events in the Canadian Rally Championship and Rally America. His most notable finish was at Rally of the Tall Pines in November 2015, where he claimed his first ever national podium finishing in second place driving a Subaru WRX STI.

The Vice Versa video shows how his two passions mesh together. He tackles any dirt path or road on two wheels or four. The Subaru Crosstrek is the perfect companion for active lifestyles that need a capable compact crossover. The 2016 Subaru Crosstrek is an optimal choice for urban adventurers who crave fun, inside or outside the city limits. Starting at $24,995, it offers all the benefits of a true crossover (generous ground clearance, ample cargo space, and excellent versatility) combined with the advantages of driving a sporty hatch (crisp response, superior handling and stellar fuel efficiency). For the new model year, the Crosstrek gains a bolder exterior design, sportier interior accents, enhanced infotainment and the trendy Hyper Blue exterior colour seen in the video. The 2016 Crosstrek is also a safe bet, named a perennial TOP SAFETY PICK + since the model was launched, and earns an IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK + for 2016 when equipped with the Subaru’s optional EyeSight driver-assist safety technology.

“The Subaru Crosstrek is a perfect choice for active lifestyles and people like Brandon Semenuk,” said Joe Felstein, Director of Marketing for Subaru Canada, Inc. “Not only is it safe and fun to drive like Brandon’s rally car, it can handle a variety of road and weather conditions with ease and has the versatility to take along others as well as your sporting gear.”

The 2016 Crosstrek was just announced as a 2016 ALG Canadian Residual Value award winner in the Compact Car segment. This is the first time that the Subaru Crosstrek has been named an ALG segment winner – a strong indication of Subaru’s commitment to every vehicle offering high resale value. Subaru was also named ALG’s Best Mainstream Brand for the second consecutive year.

The Vice Versa video was made in conjunction with Brandon Semenuk’s video team, Revel Co., and Trek Bicycle Corporation.